MBA after BA

MBA after BA

Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 28 Aug 2024, 03:09 PM IST

MBA after BA - After completing Bachelors in Arts, also known as BA, students often look for options to study further and uplift their career graph. MBA, a popular postgraduate career choice usually tops the further study list of BA graduates.

This Story also Contains

  1. MBA After BA - Introduction
  2. Eligibility Criteria for MBA after BA
  3. MBA After BA Specialization
  4. Common Entrance Test to take Admission in MBA after BA
  5. Types of MBA to Pursue After BA
MBA after BA
MBA After BA

An MBA degree not only guarantees a boom in career graph with job security and high salary but also elevates a social status. This article answers queries like how to do MBA after BA, who is eligible to do MBA after BA, MBA entrance exams to give for pursuing MBA after BA and much more.

MBA After BA - Introduction

Master of Business Administration (MBA) is an internationally renowned degree designed to develop the skills needed for careers in business and management. MBA after BA can help students in upscaling their professional worth both in India and abroad. An MBA degree after BA helps students to learn new concepts of management along with upgrading and enhancing their already acquired skills and expertise in diverse specializations.

LiveCAT 2025 Result LIVE: IIM Kozhikode to declare CAT results today at iimcat.ac.in; how to check percentileDec 24, 2025 | 1:39 PM IST

The table below outlines IIM Mumbai’s stage 1 shortlisting criteria for CAT 2025. It shows the minimum sectional and overall percentiles required in VARC, DILR, and QA for candidates across different categories to be considered for the personal interview stage of the admission process.

Category

VARC

DILR

QA

Overall percentile

General

≥80

≥80

≥75

≥85

NC-OBC

≥70

≥65

≥65

≥75

EWS

≥70

≥65

≥65

≥75

SC

≥65

≥60

≥60

≥70

ST

≥55

≥55

≥55

≥65

PwD

≥45

≥45

≥45

≥55

CAT scores to hold 60% weightage for IIM Mumbai MBAIIM Mumbai MBA admission cut-off. (Image: Official Website)

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An MBA after BA opens opportunities for graduates in the field of Marketing, Financing, Operations, Human Resources, Supply Chain, etc. MBA after BA can also be a great option for budding entrepreneurs.

Eligibility Criteria for MBA after BA

Students must know the eligibility criteria to pursue MBA after BA, which is almost common for all the MBA programmes. The MBA after BA eligibility criteria has been discussed below:

  • For MBA admissions, BA students should have completed their 3-year undergraduate degree from a recognized board.
  • Some colleges such as IIT Kharagpur require a bachelor's degree of 4 years.
  • Students need to score a minimum of 50% in the undergraduate degree, then only are they eligible to apply for various MBA entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT etc.
  • Personal Interviews and Group Discussions are included in the MBA selection process in India and the students meeting the entrance exam cut-off or a cut-off determined by the college for these rounds are only invited to participate in them.
  • In the case of executive MBA courses and MBA abroad, there are some other prerequisites like work experience of a minimum of 2 years.

Students interested in pursuing MBA after BA are suggested to comply by the basic eligibility criteria mentioned above. They must check the MBA eligibility criteria for the colleges before applying for the MBA entrances accepted by them and the MBA admission process followed.

MBA After BA Specialization

An MBA degree course is popular worldwide and some of the top business schools as well as universities offer a wide variety of MBA programs with specialisations. Students can choose from any one of the given specialisation programmes for a successful career in management.

  1. MBA in Finance - One of the most popular specialisations is focused on planning and controlling the finances of any industry. There are a certain set of skills that one must possess to make a mark in this field. The skills include- Leadership, Communication, strategic thinking, and supervisory.
  2. MBA in Human Resource - This focuses on the knowledge of human resources which leads to the success of a company. Here you study all about recruiting, employee policy, team building, conducting induction programmes, increments, employee health & safety, and more. Students who want to pursue this field should have good communication and management skills.
  3. MBA in Marketing - This specialisation programme focuses on businesses that rely on promoting products and services. It transforms consumers' demand into products, which the company promotes in the marketplace.
  4. MBA in Entrepreneurship - If you have a business idea and are thinking to give it a shape the MBA in this field is the right choice for you. This field will help you to take responsibility in a variety of fields and will provide resources needed in various fields to support your ideas and help realise your visions.
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Common Entrance Test to take Admission in MBA after BA

Some of the common entrance tests to pursue MBA after BA are:

  1. CAT exam- Common Admission Test (CAT) is one of the most common MBA entrance exams an MBA aspirant can opt for. CAT selection exams are conducted for admission into top B-schools providing MBA courses. The CAT exam pattern is divided into three sections, namely- Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Aptitude (QA).
  2. XAT exam- XLRI Jamshedpur conducts the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) annually for admission into MBA programs for the top MBA colleges. XAT exam is quite tough to crack as compared to CAT entrance test. Those candidates who have successfully conducted their graduation are eligible to apply for XAT exam.
  3. MAT exam- The Management Aptitude Test (MAT) exam is conducted by All India Management Association (AIMS) is quite easier than CAT and XAT entrance test. A student holding MAT scorecard can apply to 700 B-schools across the country.
  4. CMAT exam- The Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admitting students in more than 1200 business schools. Every year, more than 70,000 candidates take CMAT exam every year.
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Top Colleges in India Offering MBA after BA in India

MBA college name

Location

Courses

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad

Gujarat

MBA, Executive MBA, Fellowship

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore

Karnataka

MBA, PGDM, Executive MBA

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode

Kerala

MBA, PGDM, Ph.D. in Management

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta

West Bengal

MBA, PGDM, Executive MBA

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi

Hauz Khas, New Delhi

MBA,MBA Telecom, Executive MBA

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh

MBA, PGDM, Graduate Diploma in Management

National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai

Maharashtra

MBA, PGDM, Fellowship

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore

Madhya Pradesh

MBA, PGDM, Ph.D. in Management

Xavier School of Management (XLRI) Jamshedpur

Jharkhand

MBA, PGDM, Ph.D. in Management

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay

Mumbai

MBA

Indian Institute of Management Ranchi

Jharkhand

PGDM

Jamia Millia Islamia,New Delhi

Delhi

MBA

Indian Institute of Management Shillong

Meghalaya

MBA

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade

Delhi, Kolkata

MBA (IB)

Amity University

Uttar Pradesh

MBA

Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam

Andhra Pradesh

MBA

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Tamil Nadu

MBA

Great Lakes Institute of Management

Tamil Nadu

PGDM

Also Check:

Amity University-Noida MBA Admissions 2026

Ranked among top 10 B-Schools in India by multiple publications | Top Recruiters-Google, MicKinsey, Amazon, BCG & many more.

UPES MBA Admissions 2026

Ranked #36 amongst institutions in Management by NIRF | 100% Placement

Types of MBA to Pursue After BA

The online, full-time, and part-time MBA degree programmes have varying lengths of study. Following your BA, the leading B-Schools offer the following main MBA course types:

  • General MBA
  • Online MBA
  • Distance Learning MBA
  • Part-time MBA
  • Specialised MBA courses
  • Executive MBA

MBA after BA Salary Scope

Job profile

Annual salary package (in INR)

HR Manager

Rs 7,25,000

Marketing Manager

Rs 6,85,280

Product Manager

Rs 17,32,442

Operation Manager

Rs 3,50,000 – 8,00,000

Supply Chain Program Manager

Rs 4,50,000 – 12,00,000

Product Marketing Manager

Rs 16,00,000

Manufacturing Manager

Rs 7,80,000

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I do MBA after a BA in Political Science?
A:

Yes, Candidates can pursue MBA or PGDM courses with a focus on Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Rural Management, Consulting, Media Management, Marketing, Advertising.

Q: Is it possible to study MBA after BA in English?
A:

Yes, MBA after BA in English is possible. All candidates need to do is maintain a minimum of 50% in their UG degree to take the MBA entrance exams. Based on the scores they will get to, apply at top MBA colleges.

Q: What are the types of MBA programmes available for arts graduate students?
A:

General MBA, Online MBA, Distance Learning MBA, Part-time MBA, Specialized MBA courses and Executive MBA are available for arts graduate students.

Q: Can I do an MBA after BA?
A:

Yes, MBA can be pursued after Arts, Commerce or Science stream. You must score at least 50% in order to apply for different MBA entrance exams.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

The results for the CAT 2025 entrance, which is conducted on November 30, 2025, were declared on December 22, 2025. Candidates can download and see their results on the official IIM CAT website. On the website, click on the "CAT 2025 Result/Scorecard" link to download the result by entering the required details.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,

The link to the website where you can check the published result is attached herewith.  The result will be out soon. You can also check the cutoffs on the website of Careers360.

https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-result

Thank you.

CAT does not restrict eligibility based on stream. Candidates from commerce, arts, science, engineering or any other background can appear for CAT and apply to MBA programmes offered by IIMs and other top B-schools.

The basic eligibility criteria for CAT are:
You must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university with at least 50 percent marks (45 percent for SC, ST and PwD categories). Final-year graduation students are also eligible to apply.

Being a commerce graduate can actually be an advantage in areas such as accounting, finance, economics and business studies, especially during MBA coursework in finance, marketing and operations.

After qualifying CAT, admission depends on multiple factors including CAT percentile, academic background, work experience (if any), performance in GD, WAT and personal interview rounds. Many IIMs and B-schools follow a diverse academic background policy, which means non-engineering candidates, including commerce graduates, often receive additional weightage.

Apart from IIMs, several reputed institutes such as FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, and many state and private universities also accept CAT scores for MBA admissions.

So, as a commerce graduate, you are fully eligible to appear for CAT and pursue an MBA, provided you meet the minimum academic requirements and perform well in the selection process.

If you want, I can also help you with realistic CAT percentile targets based on your academic profile or suggest suitable MBA colleges.


Hello aspirant,

With a CAT 2025 raw score of 84 and strong sectionals, your expected percentile may fail in the high 98 range , depending on scaling. Your excellent academics and 2 years of work experience strengthen your profile .IIM Lucknow calls are possible but competitive for EWS engineers , while FMS Delhi looks mainly at CAT score and VARC , so you have a reasonable chance there . Final calls depend on cutoffs and composite score.

FOR REFERENCE : https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-cutoff

Hope the details will help you.

THANK YOU

Hello aspirant ,

For MANAGE Hyderabad MBA , the OBC cutoff in CAT 2024 was generally around 85-90 percentile for shortlist consideration , tough exact figures vary by section and profile . For CAT 2025, if fewer candidates appeared , the cutoff might slightly adjust , but percentile based cutoffs dont change drastically year to year. A minor decrease is possible , but you should still aim for 90+ percentile to be competitive. Factors like VARC, QA-LRDI and overall profile influence the final shortlist.

FOR REFERENCE : https://bschool.careers360.com/articles/cat-cutof f

Hope the details will help you.

THANK YOU